Uniondale, N.Y. - The Queens College baseball team had the unenviable task of having to sweep Molloy in the final series of the year to clinch a post-season appearance, and the daunting obstacle came to an end on Saturday with a pair of doubleheader losses to the Lions, 7-3 and 12-10.  The games, played at Hofstra, came off the heels of a dramatic, extra-inning victory by the Knights on Friday.

Game One:

The opener saw the Knights jump out to a lead in the top of the second as Mike O'Dwyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) led off the frame with the first home run of the season by any QC player.  The solo shot made it 1-0, Queens.

Molloy countered in the bottom of the second by scoring four times.  The key hit in that inning was a Carlos Guzman, two-RBI double to put Molloy ahead, 2-1.

The Lions pushed three more runs across in their half of the fifth, and led 7-1, after five innings.  Queens responded in their final at-bat by scoring twice in the seventh.  Joe Salanitri (West Islip, N.Y.) reached on a bunt single and Danny Muller (North Babylon, N.Y.) went long for the Knights' second home run of the game.  Despite a pair of homers, Molloy took the opener, 7-3 and eliminated QC from the post-season.

Game Two:

The second game saw the Knights bats heat up immediately, as they scored six times in the top of the first inning.  Three key hits produced runs as Francisco Monastra (Yonkers, N.Y.) and Steven Varela (Glendale, N.Y.) had RBI singles, while Warren Kelly (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) ripped a two-RBI triple to right.  Queens made the score 7-0 an inning later when Anthony Mazzella (Wantagh, N.Y.) laced a double to center that scored Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y.).

Molloy made a game of it, though, by responding in the bottom of the second and scoring four times.  Ahead 7-4, the Knights manufactured a run in the third as Tim Francis (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and Kelly both walked.  Varela bunted them to second and third, and Muller lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Francis and put the Knights ahead, 8-4.

The Lions evened the score at 8-8 by scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth.  Queens responded with a run in the fifth, to lead 9-8, but Molloy took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth as they scored four times again. Queens managed another run in the seventh as Kelly connected on his second triple of the game, but the Knights lost 12-10.

The team will close out its 2013 campaign on Sunday, May 5, against Molloy at noon.  The game will mark the final time the seven seniors get to put on the uniform for Queens College, and they will be honored prior to the game.  The seven seniors are Tim Francis, Steven Kaplan, Warren Kelly, Jared Mancini, Anthony Mazzella, Danny Muller and Steven Varela.